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Family & Cosmetic Dental Care

Comprehensive Dental Services in Erie, PA

Hammerlee Dental Care provides the highest quality of dental care to families and individuals from Erie, PA and surrounding communities. For over 30 years, our team has been a trusted name for a variety of general, family, and cosmetic dental procedures. We are proud to be the team patients trust for their oral health needs.

As a patient with our dental office, you can count on building connections with our staff and dental providers. We care about improving your immediate and long-term dental health. Our team is committed to creating a family-friendly atmosphere and dental care in a nurturing and supportive manner.

Our dental services include

Dental Cleaning

For most healthy patients, regular dental cleanings are recommended bi-annually. These appointments typically include preventive and diagnostic services such as removing stains, tartar, and plaque from the teeth, teeth polishing, cancer screenings, x-rays, and evaluations for gum disease.

Tooth Colored Fillings

Composite or tooth colored fillings help treat tooth decay and restore tooth structure after it is broken or decayed. Composite material is carefully matched to your tooth color and structure, which helps create a more natural looking appearance. A filling can also provide protection against broken teeth in the future, as well as provide a tooth with improved stability, strength, and color.

Fluoride Treatments

A natural mineral found in the Earth’s crust and in water, fluoride hardens tooth enamel and helps prevent cavities. For younger patients, bi-annual treatments are recommended to help prevent tooth decay. Fluoride can strengthen the teeth and make them more resistant to decay, but it alone will not prevent tooth decay.

Gum Treatments

Gums provide the foundation for teeth. When the gums are not healthy, it can cause greater problems for not only your dental health, but overall health. During regular exams, we will examine your gums. To help prevent gingivitis and gum disease, the pockets along the gum line will be cleaned. If you are exhibiting signs of gum disease, we will discuss the appropriate treatment options to restore your dental health.

Root Canal Therapy

If you have a sensitivity to hot or cold foods and liquids, have a bad taste in your mouth, or are experiencing pain and swelling in your mouth, you may have an infected pulp. When a cavity reaches the pulp of a tooth, a root canal is therapy. Patients who experience severe trauma to their teeth may also require root canals. Your body is unable to heal this type of infection on its own, so it must be treated to avoid further issues. During this treatment, the canals of a tooth are cleaned, then filled to prevent future infections.

Oral Cancer Screenings

Oral cancer is one of the most curable diseases, but can be difficult to diagnose because it has many symptoms associated with other medical conditions. Bleeding gums or cheeks, continuous pain in your mouth, difficulty moving your jaw and swallowing, and oral sores are often symptoms of oral cancer. Maintaining good oral hygiene and scheduling regular dental visits are essential to oral cancer prevention. Quitting smoking (or avoiding it all together) and eating a balanced diet are also good prevention techniques.

Teeth Whitening

Teeth discoloration is caused by a variety of factors including smoking, coffee, tea, and other causes. After beginning a teeth whitening treatment, discoloration will slowly disappear. To see if you are a candidate for teeth whitening, we encourage you to schedule a consultation with Hammerlee Dental Care today. We can help you bring out a more radiant, white smile.

Veneers & Lumineers

Like composite fillings, porcelain veneers are made with tooth-colored materials. These custom-made, thin casings are applied to the front of the teeth to correct discoloration, chips, and misshapen teeth. Veneers look and feel natural in your mouth. In order to fit the veneers onto your teeth, typically a small amount of tooth enamel will have to be removed. This makes the procedure often irreversible, so be prepared for a permanent improved look to your smile.

Bonding

Cosmetic bonding provides a way to correct chipped or misaligned teeth, Using a liquid resin, the surface of your tooth is rebuilt and reshaped. This procedure can be completed within one office visit. It is an affordable alternative to porcelain veneers. With proper dental care, cosmetic bonding can last 3 to 5 years.

Extractions

Extracting permanent teeth that are significantly damaged can, in some cases, help return you to optimal health. After discussing your various treatment options with your dentist and deciding on an extraction, you and your doctor will determine the best way to replace the tooth. This prevents problems with the surrounding teeth.

Dentures

For patients missing most or all of their teeth, full dentures are a great option. Partial dentures are used for patients who still retain some of their natural teeth. Dentures provide you with a way to restore a natural looking, and healthy functional smile.

Night Guards

For patients who grind their teeth while they sleep, dental nightguards can help prevent further damage to their teeth. Bruxism or the unintentional clenching and grinding of the teeth has many causes. It affects about one-third of the population. With a custom-fit oral appliance, you will protect your teeth and reduce your teeth grinding and clenching.

Digital X-Rays

Digital radiography or x-rays use small sensors instead of traditional film. There are many advantages to using digital x-rays: it uses 80-90% less radiation, saves time, and allows your dentist to view enhanced digital “x-rays” of your mouth and teeth. These images give us the clearest view of your tissues while reducing the amount of radiation your tissues are exposed to.

Sealants

Sealants are applied to teeth with deep grooves in them—both baby and permanent molars—to help seal out food and plaque. When sealants are applied to teeth, it creates a smoother surface, and a barrier against food particles and decay-causing bacteria. 75% of dental decay begins in the deep grooves (also called pits and fissures) of teeth. These teeth are hard to clean and are very susceptible to decay. Dental sealants help compensate for what toothbrushes cannot always clean. A sealant can last for up to 10 years before it needs replacement, and both children and adults can benefit from this dental procedure.

Implant Restoration

Implants are a great option for missing teeth. They give replacement or removable teeth a strong foundation and prevent them from moving. A dental implant consists of metal posts or frames which are surgically placed into bone beneath the gums. These then fuse with the jawbone and provide stable support for restorations or dentures.

Crowns and Bridges

If your tooth cannot be fixed with bonding material or is in an advanced stage of tooth decay, a dental crown may be necessary. Crowns help restore esthetics, function, and strength to your teeth by covering the remaining tooth structure. Different materials are used to make crowns, depending on which part of your mouth is being restored.

Dental bridges are utilized if you have lost teeth due to gum disease, decay, or injury. Leaving a missing tooth unfixed can create larger problems for you and your dental health. Not only can shifting teeth look unsightly, it can result in pain and discomfort. Bridges help close the gaps in your mouth and act and look like your natural teeth. Bridges are permanently cemented and will help maintain the positioning of the remaining teeth.

Nitrous Oxide Sedation

In order to help you feel at home and comfortable during your dental treatment, we will work with you to develop a custom treatment plan. One of the ways we help out patients with dental anxiety is through nitrous oxide sedation. A mixture of oxygen and the Nitrous Oxide is administered to the patient. It blocks some pain perception, and has a calming effect on the patient. This is a mild sedative, and patients remain conscious during their treatment. There are rarely side effects for this sedation option and the effects typically wear off when the Nitrous Oxide has been turned off.

Advanced Technology

Telescopic Loupes

Dental microscopes or telescopic loupes allow your dentist to diagnose and treat small problems before they become larger issues. This tool can help your dentists detect small hairline cracks in your teeth, areas of dental decay and more. This is a great preventive tool and can help you avoid costly, extensive procedures in the future.

Intraoral Camera

An intraoral camera is a pen-sized camera tipped wand that your dentist is hygienist uses to examine your mouth and take digital images. It plays an important role in helping patients understand their dental health and needs. After taking the images, they are sent to a computing unit where they can be viewed and examined by your doctor, then shown to you. This tool can show you how your at-home dental care is paying off, and gives you and your dentist an honest survey of your mouth.

Diagnodent

Diagnodent® is a hi-tech diagnostic tool that can help your dentist detect and expose areas of tooth decay before it becomes a large problem. Tooth decay can be extremely painful if left untreated. The Diagnodent® measures the amount of laser fluorescence within a tooth. As a tooth is scanned, the amount of reflected laser light is recorded and produces a digital readout. A tooth with little to no decay will reflect back little to no laser light. However, a tooth containing caries of any significance will reflect more laser light.

Automatic Appointment Reminders

To ensure you never miss or forget about an appointment, our office provides auto appointment reminders. These reminders consist of cards mailed out about two weeks before your appointment, as well as a phone call the day prior to your visit.

Paperless Charting

Since 2015, the Federal Government has mandated all healthcare offices implement paperless charting or electronic health records. This not only increases the efficiency of our office, but allows patients access to their health information at the push of a button. Electronic health records make it simpler to retrieve your medical and dental records, and simplify the billing process.

Electronic Claims

Electronic insurance claims also cut down on the hassle of filing claims and paperwork. Our system is updated daily and contains all of your patient information. At the end of each work day, all claims are sent together. The claims information is then forwarded to your insurance company to be processed.

For more information about our dental practice, our services, or to schedule an appointment please contact us today at 814-868-3647. We are proud to serve patients from Erie, PA and surrounding communities in Northwestern Pennsylvania, Western New York and Northeastern Ohio.